Chapter 636: The Reborn Lii Guizhen (Part 2)

The tall, thin servant disciple was also filled with yearning, wishing he could be drafted into the ranks.

This expedition was a top-tier call to arms with incredibly generous rewards. A disciple at Qi Refining Great Perfection had already gathered enough Contribution Points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill and successfully became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his status fundamentally transformed.

A year ago, Ma Ruoxi had been ambushed by four Late-Stage Core Formation Cultivators. It was later confirmed that they included a Tribulation Cultivator from Beiqi, a leader from the Thirty-Six Demon Caves, a Supreme Elder from a native sect in the Central Province, and an Elder from the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.

Such a lineup showed that they considered Ma Ruoxi an extreme threat.

Below the Nascent Soul realm, survival should have been impossible.

Three days later, a ray of Thunder Radiance carrying a blood-soaked Ma Ruoxi flew back to the peak of Qii Mountain, leaving behind a ruined Spirit Lake, its very bottom overturned.

The four Late-Stage Core Formation Cultivators were all killed in that single battle.

From that moment on, Ma Ruoxi’s fame skyrocketed, and she became the idol of the Qingfeng Sect’s younger disciples.

Even though she had accomplished this feat with the aid of a sword bestowed by Ancestor Bai, no other Core Formation Sword Cultivator had ever achieved such a stunning result under similar circumstances.

Logically speaking, the Ancestor’s gifted sword had already been used several times in previous battles. Even if it could have struck two more times to kill two of them, the remaining two Late-Stage Core Formation Cultivators should have been an unstoppable force for Ma Ruoxi.

The final result led the entire Cultivation Realm to believe that another Unparalleled Sword Cultivator was on the rise.

This invincible and all-conquering performance at her own level was so reminiscent of her master, Ancestor Bai, that some had already begun to hail her as the second True Monarch Bai.

Influenced by this astonishing achievement, the situation in the Central Province greatly improved, with many local sects and Cultivation Families flocking to pledge their allegiance.

The latest trend within the Qingfeng Sect was discussing which True Men would be stationed at Qii Mountain after the complete conquest of the Central Province, and where the best development opportunities would be for the lower-level disciples.

That was until last month, when the Pill Hall Master, Chen Shanyan, made his second attempt at Core Formation. With the help of the Gathering Pill Book and the Jade Display Pill, he successfully crossed the celestial chasm.

The Qingfeng Sect’s ninth Core Formation True Man was officially born!

This joyous event overshadowed all others, becoming the talk of all the disciples. The Cultivators of the Pill Hall, in particular, were overjoyed.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Hall Master Chen has become a Core Formation True Man, so he has even more room to break through in the Alchemy Dao. At his Cultivation level, he can refine thousands of Tier One Elixirs in a single batch, and the same goes for other elixirs. Just you watch. In the future, the price and quantity for exchanging Spirit Pills in the Pill Hall will definitely be relaxed a lot.”

Bai Bin wasn’t the least bit worried about his own low Cultivation and even turned to comfort his companion.

“You don’t have to rush to take the assessment next year and spend all the Contribution Points you’ve worked so hard to save on a Small Barrier-Breaking Pill. There’s no need. For Outer Sect Disciples, a year sooner or later doesn’t matter that much. It’s not like the selection for True Disciples or Inner Sect Disciples, where a single day or month can make all the difference.”

As the number of the Qingfeng Sect’s junior disciples multiplied, the competition for becoming an Inner Sect Disciple had grown incredibly fierce. A Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivation was merely the ticket for entry.

As for the True Disciples, because the positions were limited to twelve, one could often only hold the spot for a year before being challenged and defeated by another Inner Sect Disciple the next year.

Anyone who could hold a True Disciple position for five years had a more than ninety percent chance of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment.

In line with the Sect’s development, the rules for True Disciples were fine-tuned. For example, a defeated True Disciple could automatically obtain a Steward position without an assessment.

The greatest benefit of being a True Disciple used to be an exclusive Tier Three Spirit Land and a freely provided Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, but for the current Qingfeng Sect, this was no longer a sufficient enticement.

The Sect had been continuously developing new Tier Three Spirit Veins. As long as one was willing to pay the Contribution Points, even Inner Sect Disciples could rent a Tier Three Spirit Land.

The number of available Foundation Establishment Pills also far exceeded that of previous years. Not a single True Disciple would forsake a Foundation Establishment Pill to attempt a breakthrough using only a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.

Another benefit was added for True Disciples: they could borrow books from the Transmission Hall in advance, with access rights equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Furthermore, when exchanging for any items at the Pill Hall, Talisman Hall, or Artifact Refining Hall, their priority was on par with Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Especially when choosing a Cultivation Technique, they could select a grand technique that led directly to the Nascent Soul realm. Some Core Formation True Men might even be willing to personally guide True Disciples, accepting them as their own apprentices to teach.

Just as the two servant disciples were fantasizing about the Sect’s future and their own prospects, a clap of thunder erupted from the top of Celestial Thunder Cliff—a sudden bolt from the blue, with winter thunder rolling across the sky.

‘Ashes rekindled, a single spark starts a prairie fire… Without going through this ordeal, how could I have broken through my old self to be reborn? How could I have pushed my Pill Discussion of Supreme Strength and Courage, of saving the dying and reviving the dead, to a new level? I now understand the mysteries of the Thunder Skill my master taught me. That which is too rigid is easily broken; only the convergence of Yin and Yang can endure!’

With a long cry, clusters of Divine Thunder exploded in the clouds above the peak, allowing sunlight to stream straight down.

The thick snow piled on Celestial Thunder Cliff trembled violently, as if an invisible hand was shaking it all loose.

The two servant disciples stared wide-eyed as all the accumulated snow on the entire Bamboo Sea fell to the ground in an instant.

“I’ve been in seclusion for years. Tell me, what has changed in the Sect.”

The next moment, a domineering figure stood before them, his body flickering with arcs of electricity.

Even though they had only been in the Sect for a few years and had never seen this Cultivator before, how could servant disciples of Celestial Thunder Cliff not recognize the Core Formation True Man before them?

Before Ma Ruoxi’s rise, back during the conquest of Hejian County, he had already become the leader among the Foundation Establishment Cultivators through his personal charisma and formidable strength.

He held immense prestige among the Sect’s new generation of disciples. If he hadn’t been solely focused on the Great Dao, with no interest in worldly affairs, the position of Sect Leader after Tong Huan would have been his for the taking.

“Disciple greets Master Lii!”

Bai Bin’s heart pounded. As soon as he was assigned to Celestial Thunder Cliff, he had heard from his family elders that a Core Formation True Man lived here—and he was a disciple of his own Ancestor.

Apparently, his Cultivation had gone awry, and he had been in seclusion for decades.

But judging by his imposing presence today, his injuries had fully healed, and his Cultivation had reached an even higher level.

He hurriedly began to recount all the major events that had occurred in the Qingfeng Sect since Lii Guizhen entered seclusion.

Bai Bin did most of the talking, with the tall, thin youth adding details. From the perspective of servant disciples, their knowledge was limited.

In other words, the things they knew were undoubtedly major events that couldn’t be overlooked.

When he learned that Ancestor Bai had returned to the Sect, Lii Guizhen’s expression turned excited, and the lightning that had subsided on his body flickered to life once more.

Upon hearing that the Sect’s grand army had set out to conquer the Central Province, his expression remained impassive and composed.

When he heard that his junior sister, Ma Ruoxi, had challenged and defeated four Late-Stage Core Formation Cultivators, earning the title of the number one person below the Nascent Soul realm in Liang Country, a fierce battle intent surged within him.

As for Hall Master Chen Shanyan’s Core Formation, the corner of his mouth twitched into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

“Good. Have someone clean the main hall thoroughly.”

Before his voice had even faded, the man had vanished. A few clusters of lightning flickered—it was Thunder Escape, the fastest of all Escape Techniques.

“Master Lii actually came out of seclusion… and he talked to us for so long…”

The tall, thin youth murmured, still in disbelief.

“Why do I get the feeling Master Lii was dismissive of Hall Master Chen’s Core Formation? Am I imagining things?”

“SHH! Are you trying to get yourself killed, discussing two True Men so loudly?!”

Bai Bin lowered his voice and pulled his companion deeper into the bamboo forest.

“I heard from my elders that Master Lii is incredibly arrogant. Apparently, according to the Pill Discussion, Core Formation is divided into Perfect Core Formation and ordinary Core Formation. He doesn’t even look twice at the latter. Hall Master Chen only succeeded on his second try, so Master Lii probably doesn’t think it’s a big deal at all.”

“Forget about the True Men’s business. Look at the reward Master Lii left before he went. It looks like a bottle of Elixirs!”

A stout Jade Bottle with a gold-threaded floral pattern was in Bai Bin’s hand. He tilted it, and two milky-white elixirs, exuding a faint, sweet scent of osmanthus, fell into his palm.

“I think these are Spirit Enhancement Pills, used by Foundation Establishment Cultivators to advance their Cultivation. If we took them, our meridians would probably rupture and we’d die instantly… If we trade them for elixirs suitable for Qi Refining Disciples, we could probably get forty or fifty. Who knows, the two of us might both become Outer Sect Disciples next year!”

The lightning flickered, showing no sign of stopping even after several thousand miles.

Thunder Escape was renowned for its speed, but its True Essence consumption was equally enormous. It was typically only used for short sprints or escapes; almost no one used it for long-distance travel.

Yet, judging by his appearance, he showed no signs of fatigue. On the contrary, the Thunder Radiance seemed to grow even more condensed.